History-of-Halloween

HistoryofHalloweenStraddlingthelinebetweenfallandwinter,plentyandpaucity,lifeanddeath,Halloweenisatimeofcelebrationandsuperstition.ItisthoughttohaveoriginatedwiththeancientCelticfestivalofSamhain,whenpeoplewouldlightbonfiresandwearcostumestowardoffroamingghosts.Intheeighthcentury,PopeGregoryIIIdesignatedNovember1asatimetohonorallsaintsandmartyrs;theholiday,AllSaints’Day,incorporatedsomeofthetraditionsofSamhain.TheeveningbeforewasknownasAllHallows’EveandlaterHalloween.Overtime,Halloweenevolvedintoasecular,community-basedeventcharacterizedbychild-friendlyactivitiessuchastrick-or-treating.Inanumberofcountriesaroundtheworld,asthedaysgrowshorterandthenightsgetcolder,peoplecontinuetousherinthewinterseasonwithgatherings,costumesandsweettreats.AncientOriginsofHalloweenHalloween'soriginsdatebacktotheancientCelticfestivalofSamhain(pronouncedsow-in).TheCelts,wholived2,000yearsagointheareathatisnowIreland,theUnitedKingdomandnorthernFrance,celebratedtheirnewyearonNovember1.Thisdaymarkedtheendofsummerandtheharvestandthebeginningofthedark,coldwinter,atimeofyearthatwasoftenassociatedwithhumandeath.Celtsbelievedthatonthenightbeforethenewyear,theboundarybetweentheworldsofthelivingandthedeadbecameblurred.OnthenightofOctober31theycelebratedSamhain,whenitwasbelievedthattheghostsofthedeadreturnedtoearth.Inadditiontocausingtroubleanddamagingcrops,CeltsthoughtthatthepresenceoftheotherworldlyspiritsmadeiteasierfortheDruids,orCelticpriests,tomakepredictionsaboutthefuture.Forapeopleentirelydependentonthevolatilenaturalworld,theseprophecieswereanimportantsourceofcomfortanddirectionduringthelong,darkwinter.Tocommemoratetheevent,Druidsbuilthugesacredbonfires,wherethepeoplegatheredtoburncropsandanimalsassacrificestotheCelticdeities.Duringthecelebration,theCeltsworecostumes,typicallyconsistingofanimalheadsandskins,andattemptedtotelleachother'sfortunes.Whenthecelebrationwasover,theyre-littheirhearthfires,whichtheyhadextinguishedearlierthatevening,fromthesacredbonfiretohelpprotectthemduringthecomingwinter.By43A.D.,theRomanEmpirehadconqueredthemajorityofCelticterritory.InthecourseofthefourhundredyearsthattheyruledtheCelticlands,twofestivalsofRomanoriginwerecombinedwiththetraditionalCelticcelebrationofSamhain.ThefirstwasFeralia,adayinlateOctoberwhentheRomanstraditionallycommemoratedthepassingofthedead.ThesecondwasadaytohonorPomona,theRomangoddessoffruitandtrees.ThesymbolofPomonaistheappleandtheincorporationofthiscelebrationintoSamhainprobablyexplainsthetraditionofbobbingforapplesthatispracticedtodayonHalloween.OnMay13,609A.D.,PopeBonifaceIVdedicatedthePantheoninRomeinhonorofallChristianmartyrs,andtheCatholicfeastofAllMartyrsDaywasestablishedintheWesternchurch.PopeGregoryIII(731–741)laterexpandedthefestivaltoincludeallsaintsaswellasallmartyrs,andmovedtheobservancefromMay13toNovember1.Bythe9thcenturytheinfluenceofChristianityhadspreadintoCelticlands,whereitgraduallyblendedwithandsupplantedtheolderCelticrites.In1000A.D.,thechurchwouldmakeNovember2AllSouls'Day,adaytohonorthedead.ItiswidelybelievedtodaythatthechurchwasattemptingtoreplacetheCelticfestivalofthedeadwitharelated,butchurch-sanctionedholiday.AllSoulsDaywascelebratedsimilarlytoSamhain,withbigbonfires,parades,anddressingupincostumesassaints,angelsanddevils.TheAllSaintsDaycelebrationwasalsocalledAll-hallowsorAll-hallowmas(fromMiddleEnglishAlholowmessemeaningAllSaints'Day)andthenightbeforeit,thetraditionalnightofSamhainintheCelticreligion,begantobecalledAll-hallowsEveand,eventually,Halloween.HalloweenComestoAmericaCelebrationofHalloweenwasextremelylimitedincolonialNewEnglandbecauseoftherigidProtestantbeliefsystemsthere.HalloweenwasmuchmorecommoninMarylandandthesoutherncolonies.AsthebeliefsandcustomsofdifferentEuropeanethnicgroupsaswellastheAmericanIndiansmeshed,adistinctlyAmericanversionofHalloweenbegantoemerge.Thefirstcelebrationsincludedplayparties,publiceventsheldtocelebratetheharvest,whereneighborswouldsharestoriesofthedead,telleachother'sfortunes,danceandsing.ColonialHalloweenfestivitiesalsofeaturedthetellingofghoststoriesandmischief-makingofallkinds.Bythemiddleofthenineteenthcentury,annualautumnfestivitieswerecommon,butHalloweenwasnotyetcelebratedeverywhereinthecountry.Inthesecondhalfofthenineteenthcentury,Americawasfloodedwithnewimmigrants.Thesenewimmigrants,especiallythemillionsofIrishfleeingIreland'spotatofamineof1846,helpedtopopularizethecelebrationofHalloweennationally.TakingfromIrishandEnglishtraditions,Americansbegantodressupincostumesandgohousetohouseaskingforfoodormoney,apracticethateventuallybecametoday'strick-or-treattradition.YoungwomenbelievedthatonHalloweentheycoulddivinethenameorappearanceoftheirfuturehusbandbydoingtrickswithyarn,appleparingsormirrors.Inthelate1800s,therewasamoveinAmericatomoldHalloweenintoaholidaymoreaboutcommunityandneighborlyget-togethersthanaboutghosts,pranksandwitchcraft.Attheturnofthecentury,Halloweenpartiesforbothchildrenandadultsbecamethemostcommonwaytocelebratetheday.Partiesfocusedongames,foodsoftheseasonandfestivecostumes.Parentswereencouraged